The 2015 changes extended the main ball pool to 69 balls, adding another ten numbers. However, at the same time, the Powerball pool decreased from 35 to 26. This means that although the overall odds of winning the jackpot have increased to 1 in 292 million, the overall odds of winning any prize have decreased to 1 in 24.87. The first draw incorporating the changes took place on October 7th and also saw an increase in the tier three prize (matching 4+1) climb to $50,000.

I am truly grateful to the team at USAGCL for all their help and assistance in guiding me through the process of my green card lottery entry. I work in the film industry in Australia and it's always been a dream to move to LA and work in Hollywood. Thanks to USAGCL my dream is not far from fruition. I entered the lottery in 2013 and I won in my first year! I couldn't believe it, especially as I had heard so many stories of people failing again and again year in and year out. When I had trouble filling out my application a consultant called me from their offices in the States and walked me through the whole process. He provided me with all the information I needed and his contact details for any further enquiries. He really went above and beyond to make it clear and easy for me. So Tinseltown here I come!
When the Powerball jackpot is won, the next jackpot is guaranteed to be $40 million (annuity). If a jackpot is not won, the minimum rollover is $10 million. The cash in the jackpot pool is guaranteed to be the current value of the annuity. If revenue from ticket sales falls below expectations, game members must contribute additional funds to the jackpot pool to cover the shortage; the most likely scenario where this can occur is if the jackpot is won in consecutive drawings.
The final 5/56 + 1/46 Mega Millions drawing was held on October 18, 2013; that night's jackpot of $37 million was not won. The first drawing under the revised 5/75 + 1/15 format—which saw the jackpot estimate "leap" to $55 million due to the change in the annuity structure—occurred on October 22, 2013. The minimum jackpot was then $15 million, with rollovers of at least $5 million. Second prize (5+0) became $1 million cash. In the revised format, players chose 5 of 75 white ball numbers, and the "Gold Ball" number out of 15.
When you play Mega Millions online and match all five main numbers plus the Mega Ball, and you will be entitled to your share of a multi-million dollar jackpot. Mega Millions’ starting jackpot is $40,000,000. Its personal best was also a world record for four years; it awarded a $656 million jackpot in March 2012. One third of this huge prize was won by the 'Three Amigos', three members of what is possibly the most famous winning lottery syndicate.
The owner of the store that sold the ticket is incentivized to get the winnings to the right person as this is the only way they can receive their bonus for selling the winning tickets (They will not get paid until any disputes have been settled) – In the case of the Iraqi man winning the Oregon State lottery, the shop that sold the ticket received a $64,000 ‘selling bonus’.
On March 13, 2010, New Jersey became the first previous Mega Millions-only member (just before the cross-selling expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket. It was worth over $211 million in annuity payments; it was sold in Morris Plains. On May 28, 2010, North Carolina became the first previous MUSL member (just before the cross-selling expansion) to produce a jackpot-winning Mega Millions ticket; that jackpot was $12 million (annuity).
Jackpot winners have the choice of receiving their prize either in one single lump sum payment, or once a year with the annuity option (30 payments over 29 years). They have 60 days to decide which way they want to be paid. During these 60 days, a player who originally opted for the annuity payment is able to instead take the lump sum payment option. If they do not make a choice either way, after 60 days, the player will automatically receive their prize as an annuity.
To receive your FREE Powerball lottery results, sign up for email notifications here. You can also download the free theLotter app for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Download our apps and gain access to results and information for over 80 lotteries, and check winning numbers up to ten draws back! Check your lottery results, select your lucky numbers, and find draw schedules for the next Powerball draw from the comfort of your mobile!
If you are married, unless you are legally separated (i.e., there is a written agreement recognized by a court or a court order), you need to include your spouse as well even if he/she does reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. Of course, if you are legally divorced or widowed, you no longer have a spouse and you don't have to enter the former spouse information.
In 1998, Florida was given permission by its government to participate in a multi-state game. It was set to offer Powerball; but in early 1999, new governor Jeb Bush prevented Florida from joining since he believed Powerball would hurt the existing Florida Lottery games. In 2008, Governor Charlie Crist finally allowed Florida to join MUSL, on Jan 4, 2009.
Increased levels of lottery play have been linked with certain sections of the U.S. population — men, African-Americans, Native Americans, and those who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, according to one 2011 study of over 5,000 people published in the Journal of Gambling Studies. (Susan Cartwright, a spokeswoman for Scientific Games SGMS, -6.54% which sells scratch cards, says a 2014 study by an independent research firm, Chadwick Martin Bailey, found that lottery players mirror the general public’s ethnicity, employment, and income.)
The average chief executive of an S&P 500 company made $13.1 million per year in 2016 — equivalent to 347 times more money than the average worker, according to separate data released by Executive Pay Watch, a report conducted by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). “When adjusted for inflation, the average wage has remained stagnant for 50 years,” it found. Given this growing gap between the rich and poor in the U.S. the almost impossible odds of winning, Bernal describes $10, $30 and $50 scratch cards and lottery tickets a “Hail Mary investment strategy for the poor.”
A Powerball jackpot winner may choose to receive their prize in 30 payments over 29 years or a lump-sum payment. The cash value option, in general, is the amount of money required to be in the jackpot prize pool, on the day of the drawing, to fund the estimated jackpot annuity prize. The advertised jackpot annuity and cash value are estimates until ticket sales are final, and for the annuity, until the Multi-State Lottery Association takes bids on the purchase of securities.

Today, all 44 individual state lotteries offer both Mega Millions and Powerball as a result of a 2009 agreement between the Mega Millions consortium and MUSL to cross-license their joint games to one another’s members, although the two organizations continue to administer Mega Millions and Powerball separately. D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands also offer both games. Only the Puerto Rico Lottery offers only Powerball and not Mega Millions.

In the United States, lotteries are run by 47 jurisdictions: 44 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lotteries are subject to the laws of and operated independently by each jurisdiction, and there is no national lottery organization. However, consortiums of state lotteries jointly organize games spanning larger geographical footprints, which in turn, carry larger jackpots. Two major lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball, are both offered in nearly all jurisdictions that operate lotteries, and serve as de facto national lotteries.
Yes - this is known as "pooling" or "syndication". A group of family members, friends, or colleagues put funds together to purchase more tickets, and then equally share out any prizes they win. Bear in mind, one nominated person will have to act as the ticket holder, and it's important that they are reliable and trustworthy. You should also have a binding legal agreement.

EuroMillions currently has a minimum jackpot of approximately €15 million and a maximum jackpot capped at €190 million, making EuroMillions by far the largest lottery prize in Europe. EuroMillions also has annual Superdraws several times a year, automatically boosting the jackpot to €100 million. To read more about these special jackpots, and for news on upcoming draws, see our EuroMillions Superdraw page!

Power Play, when it began in 2001, was drawn with a special wheel. In 2006 and 2007, MUSL replaced one of the 5× spaces on the Power Play wheel with a 10×. During each month-long promotion, MUSL guaranteed that there would be at least one drawing with a 10× multiplier. The promotion returned in 2008; the ball landed in the 10× space twice. After being absent in 2009, the 10× multiplier returned in May 2010 (after the Power Play drawing was changed to RNG.) The promotion was extended for the only time, as the 10× multiplier was not drawn until June 12. The second prize 5× guarantee continued; the 10× applied to all non-jackpot prizes, as in previous promotions.
One funny story concerning the Powerball draw came in March, 2005 when 110 players matched all five winning numbers, minus the Powerball (22, 28, 32, 33 and 39). The Powerball lottery officials, who were understandably suspicious, paid out nearly $20 million. It soon came to light that a biscuit company from New York named Wonton Food had printed six numbers to go in their fortune cookies and these numbers really had proved to be lucky, as they were the five Powerball numbers, minus the Powerball! Unfortunately for the 110 players, they were just two off the Powerball number of 42, as the number 40 had been predicted in the fortune cookies.
The lottery never paid out, and it brought to light the prevalent issue of crookedness amongst the lotteries in the United States. The wave of anti-lottery protests finally broke through when, by 1860, all states had prohibited lotteries except Delaware, Missouri, and Kentucky. The scarcity of lotteries in the United States meant that tickets were shipped across the country and eventually led to the creation of illegal lotteries. In 1868, after years of illegal operation, the Louisiana Lottery Company obtained a 25-year charter for its state lottery system. The charter was passed by the Legislature due to immense bribing from a criminal syndicate in New York. The Louisiana Lottery Company was a derived 90% of its revenue from tickets sold across state borders. These continued issues of corruption led to the complete prohibition of lotteries in the United States by 1895. It was discovered that the promoters of the Louisiana Lottery Company had accrued immense sums of money from illegitimate sources and that the Legislature was riddled with bribery.
Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL), a nonprofit organization formed by an agreement with US lotteries. Powerball's minimum advertised jackpot is $40 million (annuity); Powerball's annuity is paid in 30 graduated installments or winners may choose a lump sum payment instead. One lump sum payment will be less than the total of the 30 annual payments because of the time value of money.